The Family of God
Notes
Transcript
With today’s topic surrounding the theme of FAMILY, I thought I would begin by introducing my family Picture of my family
My Wife
My Sons
My Daughter
We have parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles
We have family we are close to, other family not so much
FAMILY
FAMILY
It spans time, culture, nations, and language… Family is timeless.
We understand the terminology, functions, struggles
We are looking at The Family of God today as we continue to look at The Church Who and What is it?
You and I become a part of the Family of God through Jesus Christ and we are adopted into His family… Galatians 4:4-6
But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”
What do these Roman Emperors Augustus, Tiberius, Marcus Aurelius, and even Nero… have in common???
What do these Roman Emperors Augustus, Tiberius, Marcus Aurelius, and even Nero… have in common???
They all came to power through the adoption process
They were notable and great emperors!
Men who were thought to be gods…
New Testament historian Robert Lewis states that “there could be no higher claim than to have been adopted” by the ruler of Rome.
If you and I were ADOPTED into the Family of God… we should probably better understand it in the context of the culture of Paul’s day rather than ours...
Roman Adoption
An adult male heir
seldom if ever was it a girl
The son had a choice in the matter
For the purpose to take on family name and inheritance
Costly, typically nobles
A price had to be paid to allow this to occur
Slave freed, citizen, adopted
Non-citizens could not be adopted
Slaves could have the debt paid for them, made a citizen, made an heir (greater than a freeman/status)
Took on Family name/identity
An adopted child received a new identity. Any prior commitments, responsibilities and debts were erased. New rights and responsibilities were taken on.
Also, in ancient Rome, the concept of inheritance was part of life, not something that began at death. Being adopted made someone an heir to their father, joint-sharers in all his possessions and fully united to him.
He would leave behind any past… even family embracing the new identity
Could not be emancipated
In ancient Rome, adoption had a powerful meaning. When a child was born biologically, the parents had the option of disowning the child for a variety of reasons.
It was legally possible to disinherit relatives
However, there were those who abused the Adoption process for personal gain… therefore Rome made it impossible for a son who was adopted to be emancipated by himself or by the father from the adoption or status and inheritance that came with it!
With this understanding of Roman law and Adoption Paul writes… Ephesians 1:1-11; 2:19 Romans 8:15
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,
So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household,
For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”
NOTICE: in Galatians, Romans and in Ephesians Paul uses the phrase “adoption as sons” in the understanding of the culture… but he also declares that there is neither (Jew or Gentile, Male or Female, Slave or Free) all come to God the Father through Jesus Christ equally…
If we are adopted into The Family of God then there are roles, relationships, and maturing that need to take place… Paul addresses this some in 1 Timothy 3:14-15
I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long; but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.
Household Structure
Household Structure
We will go into deeper look at these roles in the next three weeks but in a family we see structure!
There are roles (Parents, Father, Mother, Kids…)
Each role has responsibilities and contributes to the family
Same goes in the church… There are roles and responsibilities
God in His Word has given instruction on how a family should function in these roles (Ephesians 5 & 6 as well as Colossians speak of marriage, parents, kids)
God directs us to this and so many other passages (PROVERBS) because the family is a picture/example of how the church is to be
Problem is that we have broken Families
Husbands are not leading spiritually
Dad’s are not in the home
Parents are no longer disciplining and teaching their children
Barna states that 32% of evangelical Christians have experienced at least one divorce… the non-churched is 33%!!!
That is impacting our churches too!
The roles and responsibilities are confused!
Consider now what Galatians 6:9-10 says:
Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.
Household Relationships
Household Relationships
Opportunities… we use them to more often meet self desires.
Family is about being selfless… relationship
It is hard at times… some family is just that weird cousin or aunt or uncle… brother!
But you love them, care for them, minister to them!
I appreciate how Paul’s letter to Titus 2:1-8 expresses not only relationship but maturing...
But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine. Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance. Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored. Likewise urge the young men to be sensible; in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.
Maturing Family of God
Maturing Family of God
Older to the younger… this is a family example
Pass on wisdom to each other in the family of God
Growth is essential… that family photo was taken this last week… I was reminded of the last family photo taken there 6 years ago… (Show Photo)
As parents we desire to see our children grow and mature
As a church God desires to see us grow and mature too!
Unfortunately, I believe He looks down as our Heavenly Father and sees immaturity The writer of Hebrews 5:12-6:1 states it this way:
You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong. So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God.
As we take the next three weeks to look intently at our roles and responsibilities… I want to close today challenging you to not be satisfied with just knowing that you were adopted into this Family of God, but I want you to realize as such it is a noble position… we were not adopted into some puny roman emperors seat… we were adopted into the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Creator of Heaven and Earth, the Family of God Almighty… and we are His children, living with His inheritance, what a name to bear, what a family to represent. Let us go and live like His children!